it was on the radar of Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), an organization that rallies communities and files lawsuits against companies and/or individuals it believes are doing environmental harm. AB&I’s executives attended a community meeting soon after discovering CBE was on its tail. The results were not encourag- ing, according to Dave Robinson, the gray iron caster’s engineer- ing manager. At the meeting, residents said they perceived AB&I as a dangerous industrial company that causes health hazards to the surrounding area. They said the company’s only goal was making profits and that it had no concern for neighboring citizens. They said they perceived AB&I as an outsider. “We always thought we were part of the community, but
A
we had never really ventured in,” Robinson said. “Until you [do that], you’re just on the sideline.” While AB&I operates in one of the most environmentally
litigious states in the country, it was able to escape a CBE lawsuit by redoubling its efforts to reach out to its surrounding community. To make sure your image stays clean, observe the following dos and don’ts, and up your media savvy.
Ignore Your Local Media According to Bill Libby, president of Libby Communica-
Don’t:
tions, Muskegon, Mich., a marketing and communications firm specializing in the metalworking industry, there are two types of PR outreach. The most important of these is through avenues that are focused on making sales—email blasts and direct mail to customer lists, website publication, trade maga- zine advertising, etc. But the second type of outreach—the type that develops your general image—shouldn’t be ignored. “It really is important to have good media relations with
the local paper, because that is the place you will hear from when there is a problem,” Libby said. “You don’t want to be meeting the media for the first time when that happens. These are not the people that lead you to customers, but they protect your home turf, so to speak.” Sometimes, the message you send to these two distinct audiences is different, according to Erin Millerschin, president of PR firm The Millerschin Group. The local angle might not mean much on an industry-wide scale, for example. But Libby said that stories also can sometimes be delivered to both audiences with only slight repackaging.
B&I Foundry, Oakland, Calif., thought it had a good relationship with its neighbors after more than 100 years in business. It was wrong. Last spring, the company decided to investigate what local residents thought of it after discovering
“It really is important to have good media relations with the local paper, because that is the place you will hear from when there is a problem.”—Bill Libby, Libby Communications
According to Mike Kelly of marketing communications and advertising agency Group eX, Royal Oak, Mich., the need to communicate properly with the local media is compounded by the fact that the metalcasting industry is by nature one that reaches quickly and deeply into communities. “It is a very fragmented industry with many small- to medium-sized plants, which are typically located in small towns where information—good and bad—travels quickly,” he said. Kelly said other ways to become involved in the com- munity and improve your image include: • accepting appointments to industry and civic boards; • leading fundraising efforts for charities or causes; • hosting charity and industry functions on behalf of the company;
• giving speeches at industry events and meetings; • championing an industry or issue; • attending charitable, civic and industry functions.
Do:
Recognize Your Great Stories Before you can reach out to news outlets to publicize
your story, you’ve got to recognize what’s going on in your company that is newsworthy. “I think there is a widespread feeling that if you make
some noise—any noise—it will be a good thing for you,” Libby said. “But if the company doesn’t understand how to communicate and give [the media] information that really rocks them and gives them reason to react, then they are sending out puff pieces.” The first step in discovering what kind of information
your target customers want to receive via the media is to ask them, according to Millerschin. “Do the research, talk to your customers or conduct a
“We always thought we were part of the community, but we had never really ventured in. Until you do that, you’re just on the sideline.” —Dave Robinson, AB&I Foundry
MODERN CASTING / October 2010
survey,” she said. “Do something that solidifies what the company already thinks its brand is.” According to a number of PR professionals, internal events that might be worth publicizing include: • facility expansions; • equipment upgrades; • new hires or promotions; • environmental initiatives; • new customers; • employee human interest stories; • innovative customer problem solving; • unique collaboration along the supply chain; • quality, cost or lead time improvements; • lean manufacturing initiatives; • process improvements.
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